


Deliver me into my Fate

by Hyaluronic



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Explicit Language, Hurt/Comfort, Hypnotism, I literally wrote this instead of sleeping, Joe and Nicky's gajillionth honeymoon, M/M, Non-Consensual Touching, Post-Movie: The Old Guard (2020), Violence, but like for two seconds - Freeform, self indulgent spoopy story, spooky scary skeletons - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26682373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyaluronic/pseuds/Hyaluronic
Summary: Nicky watched the wipers swish the rainwater from the windshield once more as he reached a hand over to rest comfortingly on Joe’s thigh. “I know, My Love, but I am tired and we are lost-...”“We are not lost.” Joe was quick to interrupt, lightning flashed high above and illuminated the interior of the car for a brief moment before thunder boomed in the distance, “I know where we are, it's the ineffable house that is lost.”“Of course.” Nicky replied with a grin, eyes shining in amusement at Joe’s irritation. “But, unless the house wishes to reveal itself to us then I would prefer the comfort of a bed tonight than that of the backseat.”“We’ve slept in worse places than the car, Habibi.” Joe stated matter-of-fact even as he turned the indicator on and made his way up the curved road towards the bed and breakfast.A decision he would come to regret.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 7
Kudos: 98





	Deliver me into my Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, short note. I wrote this in the span a few hours last night after work. I had a bigger plan for this story but couldn't ever seem to get it started so instead I told myself to sit down and just start writing and whatever came of the plot was what I'd post.
> 
> So here we have 5k+ of self indulgent spooky ghosties that hopefully make sense on some level - if not I blame my sleep deprived 2am brain, lol.

“There’s a cute little bed and breakfast, Joe. Let’s just pull over for the night we can try and find the house tomorrow when it’s not pouring down rain.”

Joe watched the cascading rain blur his view of the road ahead before the windshield wipers cleared the obstruction for a few short seconds before the torrential rain obscured the darkened streets once more. “I want to sleep in our bed.” 

Nicky chuckled at the childish tone but had to admit he understood the need for old familiar comforts at the moment and the need for the idea of the safety their house would bring from their current situation. A slight smile tugged at the corner of Nicky’s mouth when he recalled Andy pushing them out the door telling them in no uncertain terms that she better not see them for at least a month - to take another honeymoon and reconnect, find themselves again after everything that had transpired with Merrick and the revelation of just how deep Booker’s resentment towards life ran. The only stipulation she gave them, as she and Nile bid them farewell, was to stay away from any safe houses that Booker might have been aware of until Copley had a chance to clean everything up and cover their tracks. 

Which, Nicky noted, was how they now found themselves currently lost in the Welsh countryside looking for a house they hadn’t been to in almost twenty years. 

Nicky watched the wipers swish the rainwater from the windshield once more as he reached a hand over to rest comfortingly on Joe’s thigh. “I know, My Love, but I am tired and we are lost-...” 

“We are not lost.” Joe was quick to interrupt, lightning flashed high above and illuminated the interior of the car for a brief moment before thunder boomed in the distance, “I know where we are, it's the ineffable house that is lost.” 

“Of course.” Nicky replied with a grin, eyes shining in amusement at Joe’s irritation. “But, unless the house wishes to reveal itself to us then I would prefer the comfort of a bed tonight than that of the backseat.” 

“We’ve slept in worse places than the car, Habibi.” Joe stated matter-of-factly even as he turned the indicator on and made his way up the curved road towards the bed and breakfast. 

Nicky squeezed Joe’s thigh, leaning to try and catch Joe’s eye, asking, “Just for tonight and then we’ll be back on the road at first light, yes?” 

“As soon as the sun crests the horizon.” Joe agreed, reaching down to grasp the hand on his thigh returning the squeeze with a gentle one of his own. 

~Oo~oO~ 

“Hello?” Nicky questioned as he entered the foyer of the manor, his hands swiping the trickling rain from his forehead, his eyes scanning the grand room taking in the leather chairs placed around a small hearth that was decorated with small pumpkins and gourds and had orange and red candles placed just so on one side of the room along with a set of stairs that led up to the darkened second floor; a desk with another small candle burning upon on it was situated before him and a small bench with several cushy pillows against the wall rounded out the other side of the room but there was no sign of anyone around to check them in. Nicky called a greeting once more just as Joe entered behind him shaking his jacket to rid himself of the water soaking through his clothes. 

“Hello?” A woman’s voice called from somewhere in front of them. “Wynn?” 

A woman in her late forties, her auburn hair in a high bun and a pair of dark glasses situated on her button nose, appeared at the doorway behind the desk wiping her hands on a dish towel. 

Nicky waved hesitantly, smiling softly when the woman’s eyes widened upon seeing them. The woman quickly shoved the dish towel into the waistband of her skirt before making her way to the desk. “Goodness, don’t you pair make quite the scene?” 

Joe and Nicky looked at each other's waterlogged appearances with a grimace. 

“Sorry.” Joe apologized, looking almost ashamed at the puddle of water staining the aging hardwood beneath them. 

“It’s alright, loves.” The woman waved her hand and slipped her glasses up to the crown of her head, petite hands quickly writing down something in her book on the desk. “Checking in, then?” 

“Yes, please.” Nicky answered while he reached back to pull out his billfold out from his pants pocket. 

The woman looked up from with a smile and shook her head. “We don’t charge till you leave, Deary. Just a signature, if you please.” 

Nicky quickly signed his and Joe’s name to the small book and snatched his hand back as the woman quickly snapped the book shut with a grin. She disappeared below the desk, the sound of jingling could be heard before she reappeared. “This way please.” 

Joe caught Nicky’s eye with a raised brow, Nicky returned the look with a small shrug before following the older woman up the stairs. 

“I do apologize if the room is a bit stale but Wynn and I usually don’t have many guests this time of the year. Tourist season ended quite a few weeks ago and I haven’t had a chance to air the room out with all this horrid rain.” 

“It’s quite alright, Ma’am. We were on our way home but the rain turned us around.” Nicky explained, following behind as the woman flicked a light switch on at the top of the stairwell to illuminate the second floor hallway before moving to allow Joe and Nicky off the stairs. “We were quite lucky to see your bed and breakfast or we would have had to sleep in our car.” 

“Goodness!” The woman exclaimed, almost as if the thought of the two of them sleeping in their car was scandalous. “Well I’m glad you were in the right spot at the right time. Two lads such as yourself shouldn’t be sleeping out in weather like this, you’d catch your death out there!” 

Nicky smiled sheepishly as he and Joe were ushered into the first room at the start of the hallway. “This is your room, Dearies. Washroom is down the hallway, the last door on the left.” 

“Thank you.” Joe said, looking around the bright pink walls of the room, making a face at the window draped in a white lace that reminded him of someone’s gaudy wedding dress. Joe toed the lavender rug that covered most of the wooden floor with sniff - the faint smell of mothballs coated the back of his throat and made him swallow against the sickness he could feel roiling in his stomach at the odor. “It’s perfect.” 

Nicky covered his quiet laugh with a cough at the strained compliment Joe managed. “It is. Absolutely perfecto.” 

The woman beamed and handed Nicky the keys to the room, “If you two need anything just holler for Sylvia - that’s me- and I’ll be here lickety split.” 

“Of course.” 

Sylvia nodded at Nicky’s reply and made her way from the room. As soon as the door closed Joe turned with a snicker, “It looks like a grandmother puked all over the room.” 

Nicky rested his head against Joe's shoulder trying to smother his laugh so Sylvia wouldn’t hear him from outside the door. 

~Oo~oO~ 

Lightning spiderwebbed across the sky outside as Joe peered through the window, highlighting the darkened storm clouds in the sky, the crack of thunder that followed just a few seconds later faintly shook the window of the room. Joe let the curtain drop from his hand with a sigh. “If this keeps up the road to the house will be washed out.” 

“Whatever shall we do then?” Nicky questioned reaching his arms around Joe’s waist and resting his chin on his husband’s shoulders with a deep breath, relishing in the spicy aroma of Joe’s cologne. 

Joe leaned into Nicky’s embrace resting his hands over his loves with a wry smile, “I can think of a few things.” 

Nicky _hmmm’d_ as he gently nipped at Joe’s ear, “I bet you could, Hayati.” 

With a heavy breath, Joe reached behind him and ran a hand through Nicky’s still damp hair his eyes closing as the warmth of his love’s breath caressed his skin and sent a shiver of excitement through him. Joe turned in Nicky’s arms and cupped the younger man’s face, eyes soft and lids heavy. “It _is_ our honeymoon, you know.” 

Nicky licked his lips at Joe’s hushed words and went in for a kiss when a heavy knock on the door stopped him, a strained noise escaping him at the interruption. 

Joe grinned and gave Nicky a quick peck on the lips before he made his way to the door and swung it open to see an older man of prestige standing there eyes a bright blue and hair a dark ebony, a stark contrast from the greying scruffy beard framing the gentleman’s face. 

“I do apologize for the intrusion but when Sylvia said we had guests I felt I should introduce myself and invite you two down for dinner.” The man seemed to be trying to peer around Joe, who watched as the man caught sight of Nicky behind him. An eerie feeling twined its way through Joe when he noticed the slight twinkle in the man’s eye as his gaze finally landed on Nicky. “My name is Wynn Davies, by the way.” 

“Well, Wynn.” Joe started stepping in front of their host to block Nicky from view. “I hope you don’t mind us declining your offer but I’m afraid we are exhausted from the drive.” 

“Of course.” Wynn said, focusing his attention back on Joe for a moment before glancing back into the room with pursed lips. “I only thought to offer since, I’m sure Sylvia mentioned, we so rarely get guests this time of the year.” 

“I am afraid we will have to decline, Signore Davies.” Nicky explained, stepping up behind Joe with a small smile of thanks. 

“Perhaps tomorrow night then?” Wynn suggested, hopefully. 

“Unfortunately we are only here for the night.” Joe explained, eyeing Wynn wearily as the answer seemed to set the man on edge. 

“That will not do.” 

Joe narrowed his eyes, “I beg your pardon?” 

“Forgive an old man and his ramblings.” Wynn replied, running a hand over his mouth, eyes distant in thought for a few quiet seconds before he seemed to pop back into himself with a wave of his hand. “Have a good night, lads.” 

Joe closed the door, unease at the interaction rattling him. “We should’ve slept in the car.” 

Nicky pulled Joe to the bed. “It’s one night, Yusuf. The sooner we sleep the sooner we can leave.” 

~Oo~Oo~ 

A harsh bang jolted Joe from his deep sleep, a groan slipping past his dry lips as he reached out to pull Nicky closer only to be met with the chill of wrinkled sheets. 

“Nicky?” Joe asked, voice heavy in concern, his hands shoving at the covers while he scanned the small bedroom with a furrowed brow. “Habibi?” A loud crash from somewhere outside the bedroom had Joe quickly making his way from the room and towards the stairwell Nicky’s name on the tip of his tongue but the sound of shouting from below and the angry yell of a woman followed by another resounding bang had him biting his lip, afraid to draw unwarranted attention to himself. 

Joe slowly made his way from the stairs into the foyer, eyes roaming the room for any sign of his wayward husband. A shout from behind had him turning in surprise, his arms coming up automatically to block the candle bra aimed for his head before pain blossomed across the spanse of his forearm. 

“You had to refuse dinner, didn’t you?” She reprimanded, bringing the candelabra down with striking force once more only to squawk as Joe kicked her in the stomach causing her to curl around the pain from the attack. 

“Where’s Nicky?” 

Sylvia hissed, ignoring the question, “If you had just had dinner you would have gone without a fuss, now I have to make a mess! I hate making a mess!” 

Joe twirled to the side as Sylvia tried to barrel into him, he shoved at the woman's back sending her face first into the leather sitting chair by the hearth. She grabbed a pillow from the seat and tossed it at Joe who dogged the object with a frown. Unsure what the hell exactly was going on. Confused as to how the pleasant woman from before had turned into this seething angry petite thing before him. 

Sylvia growled and grabbed the fire poker from the side of the fireplace, twirling it in her hand once before advancing towards Joe - taking a swing at his head when she was within striking distance. 

Joe ducked and sidestepped, still confused as to what he had done to bring down the wrath of this woman, “I think there’s been a mistake?” 

“No mistake,” Sylvia replied, “you bring Alexander here after so long and then refuse Wynn.” 

Joe blinked, befuddled as to _who the hell Alexander was_. The second of bewilderment was all Sylvia needed to slam the poker into the side of Joe’s head and send him crashing to the floor. Joe was out before the second strike hit. 

~Oo~oO~ 

The angered boom of thunder that rolled through the area covered Joe’s gasping-choking return to life. Joe groaned, his shaky hands cradled his aching head while he blinked his dark eyes against the rain to see a jagged bolt of lightning split the sky in the distance and illuminate a far away hill before plunging the area into darkness. A thunderous rumble echoed through the valley while the grass tickled against Joe’s soaked skin from the harsh wind. 

“Yes! I took care of it.” 

Joe finally got his rain chilled hands under him and blinked up to see Sylvia hunched over to protect herself from the torrential rain, phone pressed tightly against her ear. 

“I know, I’m sorry.” Sylvia sniffled, “I said I was sorry. What did you want me to do? Shove the food down his throat?” 

Joe slowly stood, joints aching and noticed he seemed to be outside by the front porch of the manor, their car parked just off to the side a few steps ahead. He looked at Sylvia once more before he stood, his soak and muddied form towering over the smaller woman. 

“I’m handling it, you just take care of Alexander.” 

Joe watched as she ended the call, her shoulders falling as she rubbed her nose. Joe caught her by surprise as she turned, his fist connecting hard with her cheek bone. Sylvia shrieked, eyes wide with fear as she took in Joe’s disheveled appearance and lack of injuries. 

“I killed you!” She shouted, her hands grasping her cheek as she backed up a few steps in horror. “I smashed your brains in! How-...!” 

“Where is Nicolo?” Joe asked as he took a few angered steps forward. 

Sylvia blinked at the name, “Who?” 

“The man I was with.” Joe explained, hands clenched in anger. 

“You mean Alexander?” 

At the mention of that name again, Joe made a sound of frustration as he raised his fist again and Sylvia shrank back with a whimper. Joe hesitated at the pathetic display, his arm hesitating just a moment too long as Sylvia smirked and took off like a shot slamming into Joe, raising a fist of her own and smashing it down with breaking force against Joe’s temple with a shriek. 

Joe cursed as he fumbled to grab Syvlia’s hands, wrenching the woman’s left wrist back until it gave with a resounding crunch. Sylvia screamed in pain and made to slam her knee into Joe’s crotch but he bucked up and wrapped both of his legs around the woman's waist and slammed all his weight to his right, reversing their positions so he was on top, straddling Sylvia's waist. 

“Where is Nico!?” 

Sylvia spat at him and tried to scratch at his face but Joe’s grip tightened around her good hand to stop the movement. “Where!?” 

At the angered question, Sylvia bucked and made to smash her broken wrist into the side of Joe’s head but the limb was smacked away. 

Sylvia rolled her eyes to look towards the manor as lightning flashed brilliant once more and thunder roared around them. Joe saw the look and with a sigh dropped Sylvia’s good hand and made quick work of ending the poor woman’s life before scrambling to the trunk of their car. 

~Oo~oO~ 

Joe slowly-hesitantly-opened the door, grateful that the crack of thunder and pounding rainfall overpowered the creak of the door's old rusted hinges. A burst of warmth greeted him as he slipped inside the entrance way, the heat from the hearth warming his rain chilled skin, the rich earthy scent of burning wood tickled Joe’s nose while he slowly slipped the door shut. He could hear the faint murmur of voices echoing from somewhere within the house, the soft cadence of the person speaking a silken caress against the heat Joe could feel licking against his skin. Almost as if the words were forcing his nerves to calm. He didn’t like the feeling of the forced lassitude and gripped the gun tighter, icy fingers aching against the hard metal. 

Joe bent his knees, shifting his weight to his rear leg as he quickly looked down to find the nails in the floor to discern where the floor joists were before he stepped forward quietly. He’d had hundreds of years of practice walking on old creaky floors and he’d be damned if the squeak of hardwood flexing under his feet would be what gave his position away. Joe continued to creep through the manor, following the soft throaty rumble of voices till he came to a stop at the top of a set of stairs that led down into a faintly lit basement; the orangy-pink hues from the fireplace below casting distorted shadows on the steps. 

Joe mentally cursed as he stared at the steps in irritation. With a silent breath, he stepped as far to the edge of the first step as he could, keeping his knees bent and his back hugging the wall to help distribute his weight evenly through the balls of his feet as he slipped down the stairs, gun pointed towards the floor, pointer finger curled around the trigger guard. 

As he stepped down from the last step Joe could see the black clothed back of Wynn as he stood in front of Nicky, the man’s hands running over the expanse of Nicky’s chest, appearing to straighten out the wrinkles from the deep teal sleep shirt his husband was wearing. 

A harsh bite of words in a language Joe didn’t understand broke past the man’s lips as Wynn continued his ministrations. Joe tried to catch Nicky’s attention when Wynn knelt down on the floor to fiddle with something by Nicky’s bare feet but had to bite back a curse when he noticed the blank, unfocused gaze of Nicky’s normally vibrant green eyes staring right through him. An uneasy feeling slithered through Joe, settling and coiling around his stomach and squeezing tightly until he swore he could feel the acidic burn of bile rising in his throat. Joe swallowed against the feeling and brought the gun up, quickly latching onto the back of Wynn’s head before firing.The loud rapport of the gun burned against his eardrums as Joe watched Wynn turn on his knees with a glare, the bullet falling harmlessly to the ground in front of the man with a disheartening clink. 

“I see Sylvia failed in her job, quite disappointing.” Wynn sighed heavily,and hefted himself to his feet, his slight frame partially hiding Nicky from view. “But, nevertheless, I have contingencies.” 

Joe barely had time to understand what had happened before he was coughing against the ache of broken ribs and pain of torn skin from being slammed into the wooden stairs by something unknown and fantastical. 

“Now, be a good lad and stay still for me.” Wynn said with a hmm before turning back to Nicky and running his hand through the dazed man's short hair, a throaty harsh expulsion of air escaping Wynn as he set his thumbs gently by the corner of Nicky’s eyes, his fingers still laced through soft locks of sandy blonde hair. Wynn closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Nicky’s breathing in the gentle warming balsamic scent of Nicky’s cologne. A few more undistinguishable words tumbled quietly from Wynn’s lips. 

Another shot rang out through the small basement interrupting the hushed words, this time the bullet embedded itself in the wall beside the hearth behind Nicky and Wynn. The older man turned towards Joe in exasperation, his eyes rolling in annoyance as his hands slipped from Nicky’s hair. 

“I see I shall have to take care of the rubbish before I am allowed to continue.” 

Wynn turned back to Nicky with a fond smile, his hands lightly cupping the younger man’s chin, thumb brushing lightly over the mole on Nicky’s cheek and pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of Nicky’s mouth. “I promise to be back in just a moment, Dearest.” 

Wynn turned away from Nicky, only to have Joe barrel into him with a shout of rage. Wynn grunted as the two fell to the floor, his hands coming up to shove at Joe’s own that were trying to reach for his throat. A low animal-like noise rumbled from within Wynn as he rammed his knee into Joe’s chest shoving the man from him as he quickly stood. 

“You bobolyne! What do you plan to accomplish here?” Wynn questioned as he swiped a hand through his disheveled hair and the lapels of his coat to straighten out the wrinkled fabric. “Alexander is mine now, just as it should be.” 

Joe rose to his feet, hand rubbing against his bruised ribs. “His name is _Nicolò_ and he is noone’s.” 

“Spoken like a true idiot.” Wynn sneered and flung his hand out to the side before sweeping it forward towards Joe who barely had time to shout before he was thrown back, his head bouncing off the harsh stone floor. 

“God-damnit.” Joe croaked, rolling onto his side as a blackened twilight skirted the edges of his vision. He could feel heat trickling down the back of his head and brought a shaky hand to swipe at the warmth, wincing when his fingers brushed against still healing skin. “Motherfucker.” 

“Such eloquence you would expect from an uncultured heathen.” Wynn said haughtily, “Stay.” He commanded with a flick of his wrist that had Joe slamming bodily into the stairs - shouting in agony as the wooden staircase crumbled around him from the sheer force in which he hit. 

Wynn smirked before turning back towards Nicky, his features softening at the unseeing gaze of the younger man. “Now, Beloved lets finish this. It has been too long since I have had the chance to feel you against me, hear your honeyed voice whisper words of love to me as if they were spoken by God himself. Alexander, my dearest love, come back to me...” 

A few more mangled words whispered in the tempo of an ever crescending lilt, reverberated around the basement, the garbled utterance summoning a harsh wind that swept through the room sending the flames of the fireplace flickering in the bitterly-cold breeze. A blue-tinged light swirled on the tail end of the current, an almost eerie fog that seemed to slowly settle beside Wynn and Nicky. 

With a breath of success, Wynn stared in awe at the radiant mist that seemed to hover slightly above the ground. “Your soul is as beautiful as I imagined. Oh, Alexander, I finally found a vessel worthy of you.” 

The glowing mist seemed to waver for a second before swirling forward to wrap around Nicky’s feet and spiral up and around his body, blanketing Nicky in an unearthly blue hue. 

“Almost, my Dearest. I must cleanse the vessel first.” Wynn reached inside his coat and pulled out an ornate blue gemmed dagger. The sound of shifting wood had Wynn turning to stare behind him at the broken staircase with the shake of his head before turning back towards his dazed guest. He needed to finish this ritual now before the rowdy outsider who refused to leave well enough alone decided to try and interrupt again. 

Wynn eyed Nicky, the hand not holding the dagger gently cupped the back of the younger man’s head. “Your sacrifice for my beloved will never be forgotten, we will honor you everyday, Nicky.” With that Wynn slammed the dagger into Nicky’s gut pushing upwards to ensure it was a killing blow. 

Nicky gasped as the pain seemed to pull him back into awareness with a cry of agony, he pushed against the hands holding him and stumbled back into the hearth; the blue mist on him now almost a second skin as it followed his movements. 

“Joe?” Nicky questioned, his eyes pinched in pain and confusion- the last he remembered he had been heading towards the car to grab his duffel bag. 

“Here, Habibi.” Joe groaned quietly as he shoved the last of the wood from the stairwell off and rolled to his knees with a deep breath to help quell the pain aching through his abused body. 

Nicky swallowed against the tight feeling in his throat and raised a shaky hand to pull the dagger from his abdomen with a hiss, his fingers remaining tight around the pommel. He went to step forward but a wave of lethargy pulled him down towards the floor, his knees hitting hard as he landed. “ _What’s Happening?_ ” 

Joe shook his head at the question, unsure. “ _No idea, crazy wizard man here is-_ ” 

Wynn cut Joe off with a shout of anger, sending Joe back to the ground with a wave of his hand, “You will be silent!” 

Nicky blinked owlishly and went to stand to help Joe but something stopped him. A gentle hum at the back of his consciousness that felt like the long-forgotten caress of a mother to her babe had him pausing half-way to his feet. Nicky closed his eyes at the tenderness of the sensation, a small smile on his lips as the blue light that surrounded him seemed to sink into his skin, a feeling of complete calm pushed his consciousness down into a sinking purple of dusk colored serenity, the muted color encompassed him wholly before heralding him into unconsciousness. 

Joe shouted in worry as he watched Nicky close his eyes and sway, he watched as the ethereal light that had surrounded Nicky disappearing beneath his love’s skin. Wynn turned at the cry from Joe to see Nicky opening his eyes-the same brilliant blue of the mist shining brightly in from the younger man’s iriss’. 

“Alexander…?” Wynn whispered in awe, he dared to hope, his hands raised as he stepped towards his long lost love. 

“Wynn.” 

Joe winced at the voice, it was Nicky’s but it wasn’t. The cadence of the words were off, the way Nicky’s mouth moved to form the other man’s was all wrong, his love’s lips stretching to thin around the syllable. Joe made it to his feet, hand curling around his still aching ribs. Unsure of what he should, or even could do, at this point. 

“My Love!” Wynn shouted with a tearful smile, his hands sweeping through Nicky’s hair, over the younger man’s chest, running across the spanse of Nicky’s back- unable to satiate his need to touch the other. 

Nicky- _Alexander_ \- kissed Wynn passionately holding the back of the man’s head, fingers gripped tightly in the older man’s hair before pulling away with an alluring smile. “I have waited hundreds of years to be able to do this.” 

Wynn barely had time to reply before the dagger in Nicky’s grasp was plunged into the side of his neck. Wynn screamed in rage and shoved Nicky away from him as he made to pull the dagger out. 

“You ungrateful whore!” Wynn shouted, blood seeping down his neck and saturating his coat. 

Joe made to move towards Nicky in worry but stopped as he noticed the man smirk, the features of his face seeming to darken in pleasure at the sight of Wynn in agony. A sick feeling roiled in Joe’s stomach at the unnaturalness of it all. 

“Hundreds of years in pain, stuck between this life and the next.” The voice coming from Nicky was a hiss of barely controlled rage, “Never able to cross because your sorcery kept me tethered. I will finally be free of your vile intentions!” 

Joe watched as Wynn’s eyes widened, “I loved you, you ungrateful fool!” 

“You say love but what you truly mean is possession.” Nicky took a few steps towards Wynn, “You cared nothing for my heart.” 

“I gave you everything, I saved you, fed you, clothed you, you wanted for nothing!” Wynn threw back in vehemence, swaying as his knees buckled and hit the stone floor hard. 

“I wanted,” The spirit in Nicky started, stepping quietly towards the dying man, lips thinned in concentration. “I wanted to be free.” 

Wynn made a strangled noise of confusion as Nicky’s hands pulled the dagger from the man's throat and plunged the ornate instrument into Wynn’s chest. “Love is not possession you little man, To love someone is to offer them joy-a balm for their suffering not consume them.” 

Wynn gurgled, blood bubbling past a grim smile that was all teeth, the man’s ebony hair began to lose its sheen, the crisp well-manicured features of Wynn began to twist and warp into something terrible as his tanned skin began to shrink and slough off till only the ramshackled emaciated corpse of a man was left. 

“Good riddance.” 

“Nicolò?” Joe questioned quietly, the hand not wrapped around his abdomen hesitantly reaching towards Nicky in concern. 

A sad smile spread across Nicky’s face before a warm golden glow surrounded him. Joe had to squint against the illumination as the gleaming light seemed to grow and encompass the room. Joe shouted in concern when the light became so intense that he had to close his eyes or risk going blind. A deafening tone accompanied the fantastical display, Joe screamed against the onslaught before an overwhelming black swept through the room crashing down into Joe and spiralling him into an awaiting darkness. 

“Hayati?” 

Pushy hands accompanied the quiet call. Joe groaned and opened blurry eyes to see the gray sky of early morning coming into view high above him. 

“Joe? Are you okay?” 

“Bene, grazie.” Joe murmured, bone weary as he slowly sat up, groaning at the feel of tacky mud clinging to his shirt and sweatpants. “What happened?” 

Nicky swallowed and looked around the barren field, the dilapidated bones of a house looming behind them. “I was hoping you could tell me?” 

“I don’t think I could if I tried.” Joe replied with the shake of his head. “What do you remember?” 

Nicky helped Joe to his feet, pursing his lips in thought as half formed recollections of the night before made their way to the forefront of his mind. “I was going to get the duffel bag from the car...I think, Wynn stopped me?” 

Joe muttered a quiet _asshole_ at the mention of the man’s name. 

Nicky huffed a small laugh, “Everything went fuzzy after that, uh, then a searing heat- I was stabbed?” At Joe’s nod Nicky swallowed, “Not much else till I woke up on the ground with you snoring beside me.” 

Joe rubbed at his eyes with a grumbled _I don’t snore_. 

“Like a bear.” Nicky commented with a grin, his fingers pushing the slightly damp curls from Joe’s forehead. “A ferocious bear.” 

“Are you okay?” Joe asked, voice soft in concern, his hands grabbing Nicky’s and bringing the blood stained fingers to his lips and pressing a kiss to the younger man’s knuckles. 

“I think so.” Nicky answered honestly, “Just very much ready to leave this place.” 

“As am I, Habibi.” 

Nicky shook his head and entwined his hand with Joes, “Screw Copley, we are going to Malta.” 

Joe snorted as he laughed.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this self indulgent spoopy bed and breakfast story. I might revisit this at some point and actually expand on it and work out the plot a little more and make it the bigger story I wanted it to be; but, for now, I'm pretty satisfied with this for a one shot. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
